"Friends" is the series that made celebrities everywhere in the world during the protagonists who captured the hearts of the public during their 10-year run from 1994 to 2004.

Even nearly 20 years after the last episode, this is undoubtedly the biggest achievement in the careers of Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer.

Due to its popularity and continued exposure, the Friends series also remains quite profitable for them, with the actors reportedly earning up to $20 million a year in royalties.

The series, which follows the lives of Monica, Chandler, Phoebe, Rachel, Joe and Ross, brings in annual profits of $1 billion for the production company, Warner Bros. That translates to about $20 million in annual pay for the show's stars, who earn 2 percent of the revenue.

How much do the actors who played secondary roles in the series earn?

They may be the only ones to stick around, but the six protagonists weren't the only characters that made up Friends. In 2019, Vincent Ventresca – who played Monica's boyfriend 'Fun Bobby' in two episodes – revealed that he gets $2,000 a year. 

"Every time I get a check, I think: Wow, they must be very rich," he told the Guardian. "I get about $2,000 a year and I've only appeared in two episodes."

According to this logic, the rest of the actors who participated in the series will receive about $ 1,000 per year for each episode in which they appeared. So Elliot Gould and Christina Pickles, the parents of Ross and Monica, Jack and Judy, can get $20,000 and $19,000 in their bank accounts each year. Maggie Wheeler, who played Janice, can also earn about $19,000 a year from reruns of the series. Jane Sibbett, known as Ross' ex-wife Carol, could get $15,000.

The actor who played Gunther, James Michael Tyler – who passed away in 2021 aged 59 – appeared in 147 episodes. This made him the only non-main cast member to appear in more than 100 episodes (although he didn't always have a voice).

Income for Matthew Perry after his death

Matthew Perry, known for his role as Chandler Bing in "Friends", passed away on October 28, 2023 at his home in Los Angeles. The actor never married and had no children, a fact that calls into question who will be the beneficiary of his wealth. Charlie Douglas, a certified financial advisor told CNBC that there are three inheritance options under California law.

First, Matthew Perry may have designated beneficiaries through a will. Second, it could have appointed a trust, rather than a person, to be responsible for how the funds were used. The last option is for the actor not to name a beneficiary, and state law will determine what happens to his estate.

Given Matthew Perry's wishes, it is also possible for charities to be included in his will. The actor struggled with addiction, writing about it in his memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, where he spoke openly about the difficulties he faced, especially during the last year of his life. He hoped that he would not only be remembered as Chandler from "Friends", but also for the help he gave to others with problems similar to his own.